The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis publicly confessed wrongdoing for the way it handled the sexual-abuse allegations of three boys.

“Today, I, as the leader of this archdiocese, stand before you to say we failed — in what we have done and what we have failed to do,” Archbishop Bernard Hebda said after a court hearing Wednesday, mirroring a prayer traditionally said in each Mass.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda admitted that the archdiocese mishandled a sex-abuse case at a news conference in St. Paul, Wednesday. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

Criminal charges against the archdiocese over its handling of a child sexual-abuse case were dropped that morning, after prosecutors announced additional accountability measures.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said that his office has insisted on the “direct admission of wrongdoing from the beginning,” and could not consider dismissing charges until it was made.

“It is my expectation that, never again, will the facts of this case be repeated and the protection of children will forever be of paramount importance within this archdiocese,” Choi said.

CRIMINAL AND CIVIL CHARGES

The Catholic archdiocese faced six gross misdemeanor counts of child endangerment for allegedly turning a blind eye to repeated misconduct by Curtis Wehmeyer, a former priest at Church of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul who is now in prison. Wehmeyer was convicted of molesting two boys in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin.

Ramsey County prosecutors accused top church officials of failing to respond to “numerous and repeated reports of troubling conduct” by Wehmeyer, dating back to when he entered the seminary in 1997 until he was defrocked.

A civil petition was filed at the same time as the criminal case and led to a “landmark” settlement in December. It called for a new child-protection plan and protocols defining how such issues should be handled. Elements included broader background checks for clergy and volunteers, child-protection training, the mandatory reporting of abuse and regular reviews of protocols subject to prosecutor review.

The settlement also called for reviews every six months for three years. The first of these was held Wednesday morning.

After the first reviews, officials said they are pleased with the progress. Additional measures were also added, expanding the December agreement and extending it to four years.

“You rolled up your sleeves and you looked at what you could do to protect kids going forward,” Ramsey County Chief Judge Teresa Warner told archdiocesan representatives, including Hebda, at the hearing. “This is a significant single step.”

ADDITIONAL MEASURES

While the initial settlement was far more extensive than anything the court could have mandated, the additions make it “really unprecedented,” Choi said.

“It should be, I hope, a model for child protection protocols and how they would work … with governmental agencies, ” he said. “That has not been seen before.”

The agreement announced Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court includes:

An additional year of oversight, with progress reports by the archdiocese to continue until February 2020.

A public admission of wrongdoing by the archdiocese with respect to the victims in the civil and criminal cases.

Restorative-justice sessions with the victims to be scheduled by the court. Hebda will be directly involved in at least three.

A seat on the archdiocesan Ministerial Review Board to be filled by a person appointed by the prosecutor’s office.

The release of any prior litigants from confidentiality requirements in previous settlements. There will be no additional confidentiality agreements unless requested by the victim.

A guarantee of continued counseling resources for the three victims and their immediate families, if necessary.

The victims and their families appreciated the archdiocese’s admission and “wholeheartedly” supported the Ramsey County Attorney’s resolution of the case, Choi said.

“We’re sorry for what’s happened and we want to work with the county attorney’s office, certainly with the community, to do all that we can to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Hebda said.

Jeff Anderson, a St. Paul attorney who has represented hundreds of people in abuse cases against the church, praised the decision to drop charges in exchange for concessions from the archdiocese. He said it was the right thing to do for survivors and their families, and would push new information into daylight.

CRITICISM AND CONCERN

“Wrongdoing is deterred when wrongdoers are punished,” said David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “But not one Twin Cities Catholic official is being punished – in the courts or in the church – for repeatedly deceiving parishioners, moving predators, hiding evidence, stone-walling police or endangering kids.”

Clohessy specifically called out former Archbishop John Nienstedt, who stepped down shortly after charges were filed against the archdiocese last year.

Both he and Anderson said it was incumbent on the Vatican to take stronger action, including defrocking, against Nienstedt and others involved.

When asked about the decision not to charge any church leaders, Choi said that in order to bring criminal charges, he has to believe his office can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

“There just wasn’t sufficient evidence to point to one particular person, but there certainly was, with respect to the entire corporation,” Choi said.

WETTERLING TO SERVE

The Ramsey County Attorney’s appointment of child advocate Patty Wetterling to the Archdiocesan Ministerial Review Board was announced Wednesday.

After Wetterling’s son was abducted in 1989, she became an advocate of child safety education. She now serves on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s board of directors.

“For me, this is a great opportunity to help champions that I have always admired build a world where children can grow up free from sexual exploitation. I am honored to serve,” Wetterling said in a written statement.

The Ministerial Review Board is responsible for examining abuse allegations and is made up of 12 members, 10 of whom are lay people. Lay members include a survivor of clergy sexual abuse and two non-Catholics.

Marino Eccher contributed to this report.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS

Documents related to the criminal case against the archdiocese were made available to the public online Wednesday afternoon by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office along with the archdiocese’s firstsix-month status reportand the full amendment to the settlementagreement. The archdiocese’s admission of wrongdoing is on page two of the amendment to the settlement.

Tory Cooney covered local news for the Pioneer Press while on a Collegiate Network fellowship for 2016.

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And the church continues to be concerned about falling membership. Correlation anyone?

SouthernGuy

Falling congregation membership AND a shortage of priests. Many dioceses, such as the Winona diocese of which Owatonna is a part, has been closing (“consolidating”) parishes to compensate.

But is not just the falling attendance. It is the heaviness of spirit even when services are held. I last attended services at St. Joseph’s here in Owatonna, and it was like attending services in a tomb. The attendees with very few exceptions were older people–many obviously in their seventies or even older.
The two priests were aged as well. There were a few younger couples but only a few children. The people (priests and worshipers) seemed to be just going through the motions. There was nothing of the reverence and spirit of worship that was a part of Catholic masses that I remember from years past.

This child-abuse is beyond scandal. It is a cancer, one that affects parishes and worshipers both locally and nationally, and the deal struck with the archdiocese of St. Paul stinks to high heaven. It may sound all pious and forthcoming to the authorities but the simple fact of the matter is that the ethic, the driving force behind this culture of abuse has NOT changed, and WILL not change if all we do is to give the institution a pass. Minnesota law mandates that if a child is abused and it can be proven that others in authority knew of it and did not act on it, they are as liable to be held guilty of child abuse as the actual abuser. There needs to be criminal consequences for those who knowingly hid the abuse, as well as for the abusers. A priest in prison for molestation is a step in the right direction, but until EVERY person who knew of and knowingly hid that abuse is punished, all we do is to continue to enable the abusers and continue to put our children at risk.

Dave Diamond

Only drooling fools contribute and stay with these devils in the flesh.

Andrew Voyer

Deep pockets=no problem.

Dave Diamond

The ArchD has something on John Choi or else he is also a homosexual/pedophile covering up for them.

Onator

Waiting for the similar class action suit against Cretin. Abuse in all forms was rampant there.

Asyb79

So they didn’t admit wrongdoing and forgiveness until after a plea bargain? Way to teach those Christian values.

We are disappointed that officials of the Archdiocese were not criminally charged for enabling and covering up sex crimes against innocent kids. Sadly the sex abuse and cover up within the church hierarchy throughout the world is still going on to this day. Cardinals and bishops are still not exposing accused predator clergy, and they are not reporting to law enforcement. Their so called “zero tolerance” policy is not being followed by the bishops who created it. They don’t have to, because there is no punishment to force the bishops to change their ways of protecting their power and the institution rather than protecting innocent children.

Change only comes when those who enable and cover up child sex crimes are held accountable.

Victims wish for the full truth to be exposed so that no other child is sexually abused. Let’s hope that anyone who may have knowledge or may have been harmed will find the courage to come forward and contact law enforcement no matter how long ago it happened.

Silence is not an option. It only hurts, and by speaking up there is a chance for healing, exposing the truth, and therefore protecting others.

Judy Jones,
SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests,

J. Hagensen

So, the article lied when it said that the victims supported this decision? How could that be?

Dave Diamond

NO WAY the victims said “Oh that’s OK” to the parasites who run the Catholic Church. No amount of Our Fathers and Hail Marys will absolve these devils!!!

Dave Diamond

The ENTIRE Catholic Church is run by the devil, from the Pope on down.

Dave Diamond

That certainly wasn’t a SNAP judgement.

J. Hagensen

So, that’s how it works? If your neighbor had done this stuff they’d be in Jail for life. If the Church does it the charges get dropped because they promise to be good little boys from now on? Wasn’t that the same punishment the Church gave out to the abusing priests??
Choi needs to resign right now!

Ramone

Wow, so they’re just going to let them get away with it? Sickening.

FlyingFarang

This isn’t justice. Apparently I missed the part where he admitted wrong doing.

Mac David

Unbelievable. Why hasn’t the Catholic hierarchy been brought to justice with our RICO laws? Ramsey County Attorney John Choi is giving the corrupt and morally bankrupt
Catholic hierarchy a big gift here and he should lose his job for it. Pathetic.

tschraad

Patty Wetterling said “For me, this is a great opportunity to help champions that I have always admired build a world where children can grow up free from sexual exploitation.”

Isn’t this ironic, Patty Wetterling who supports the killing of innocent human beings claiming she wants to build a world where children can grow up. I wonder how they can do this when she prefers them dead?

Dave Diamond

She is a NUT CASE from the word “go.” She had something to do with the disappearance of her child. But the law in this state is just as worthless following up on her as to put the ArchD ay-holes in prison where they belong!

J. Hagensen

Choi needs to resign now!

Dave Diamond

This is the ONLY news source that has allowed any comment. The Star Tribune Facebook has NO news story about it, just some namby panby limpwrist insider Catholic organizations covering up. PATHETIC! CHEERS for Twin Cities PIONEER PRESS!

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